It seems investors, distracted by the shiny objects and breathless pronouncements of the Tesla acolytes, almost overlooked the fact that Ford actually moved some metal in 2025. A genuine, old-fashioned, internal-combustion-powered accomplishment. It’s like discovering your grandfather still knows how to whittle. Quaint, I suppose.
The stock, having ascended to heights that would make Icarus blush – a thousand percent increase since the AI fever truly took hold – now finds itself in a curious state. A temporary inconvenience, perhaps? Or the first tremor before a more substantial collapse? The market, that fickle beast, is offering a discount. A most intriguing development. It suggests a lack of faith, a suspicion that the golden age is waning. But history, as I’ve learned in my years poring over dusty ledgers and forgotten balance sheets, rarely operates on simple logic.
GE Vernova, if you’re keeping track – and honestly, who isn’t these days? – is one of the offspring of the General Electric empire. They’ve decided to specialize, which, in the business world, is a bit like deciding to only collect stamps featuring aardvarks. It narrows the focus. They’ve got three main lines of business: power generation, wind energy, and, rather broadly, ‘electrification.’ The wind side is… well, let’s say it’s undergoing a period of strategic adjustment. But the power and electrification bits? Those are positively humming.
SoundHound. It’s all about voices, apparently. Which is ironic, because I’ve been mostly silent since realizing how much money I lost on Dogecoin. They make apps that recognize voices. I mostly just yell at my smart speaker when it misinterprets my requests. But apparently, this is a big deal. They’re working with car companies, restaurants… even Mastercard. It’s all very… corporate. They seem to be acquiring smaller companies, which is a good sign, I think. Like a sensible adult, rather than a frantic magpie collecting shiny things. Analysts predict revenue growth of 30% CAGR. Which sounds… promising. It’s a bit pricey, though. $4.5 billion valuation. Still, maybe it’s worth the risk. I mean, what’s a few more sleepless nights when you’re already questioning all your life choices?
Everyone’s terribly excited about this Tyler Radke at Citi, upgrading his outlook. $235 price target. Thirty-four percent upside. Oh, fantastic. Another analyst throwing fuel onto the bonfire. It’s almost… endearing. Like watching someone desperately try to convince themselves they’ve made a good decision. I mean, I’ve been that person. Several times. Usually involving shoes.
Ulcerative colitis. Right. Another crowded market. Everyone’s got a pill for something these days. And they all suppress your immune system. That’s the trick, isn’t it? Fix one thing, break three others. It’s like rearranging furniture to make more space, and then realizing you’ve blocked the doorway. Obefazimod supposedly doesn’t do that. It’s different. It’s…gentle. Of course, they say that. They have to. The phase 3 trial showed remission. Statistically significant. Wonderful. And nearly half the patients had already tried other things. So, they’re the ones the other drugs didn’t work on. That’s… convenient. It’s like saying your new vacuum cleaner works great on dirt that other vacuums couldn’t pick up. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Blockbuster potential, they say. I just… I don’t buy it. It’s just a word. A marketing term.
Pfizer, even in its present state, remains a considerable force, a leviathan among pharmaceutical houses. Its market capitalization, exceeding one hundred and forty-five billion dollars, is not insignificant, though it lags behind certain peers. To place it in perspective, it stands near the tenth position amongst its brethren, not far removed from Intuitive Surgical, whose own valuation hovers around one hundred and ninety billion. This, however, is merely a matter of numbers, a superficial assessment. The true measure of a company lies not in its current wealth, but in its capacity for renewal, its ability to adapt to the relentless pressures of time and circumstance.
The current market, a rather boisterous affair, has rewarded those who merely exist within its capricious currents. Asset managers, as a class, have benefited from this tide, simply because the rising waters lift all boats, however unseaworthy. Fees, of course, are the true engines of prosperity, and those based on assets under management are particularly delightful – a perpetual motion machine of profit, fueled by other people’s optimism.
Mr. Ackman’s ambition, while laudable, is not without a certain theatricality. He has taken a controlling interest in Howard Hughes Holdings, intending to transform it into a diversified holding company – a veritable empire built upon insurance. A curious notion, indeed, and one that echoes the strategies of the venerable Mr. Buffett. But let us remember, the imitation of greatness is often a pale shadow of the original, and the pursuit of wealth, without wisdom, is a comedy of errors.
My list isn’t filled with grand pronouncements or fleeting fancies. It’s a quiet reckoning with where the real work is being done, the foundations being laid. Nvidia, Broadcom, Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, and Alphabet – these aren’t just names on a ticker tape. They are the workshops where the future is being forged, and a man would do well to understand their craft.